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Conti Signs European Road Safety Charter

On November 26 Continental AG added its signature to the European Road Safety Charter, a document outlining the goal to halve the number of fatalities on roads within the European Union by the year 2010; in other words, a reduction to 25,000 from 50,000 EU road deaths recorded in 2004. With the signatures of Continental’s board executive Dr. Hans-Joachim Nikolin and the European Commission Vice President, Jacques Barrot, Continental AG commits itself to supporting this initiative.

“For years now Continental has been engaged in the development of intelligent automotive safety systems and in initiation of educational and research projects, including programs aimed at children and young people, all of which is intended to improve European road safety,” underscored Dr. Nikolin at the ceremony in Brussels. “Our signature under the European Road Safety Charter moves us closer to realisation of Vision Zero. For us that means making future road traffic even safer.”

27th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Scientist: Tyre Manufacturing By-products Reduce Fertility

Research carried out at Australia’s Newcastle University indicates insecticides and tyre industry by-products could be adversely affecting fertility. Local news sources are reporting that the work found that low doses of certain chemicals can cause eggs to grow prematurely. Researcher Eileen McLaughlin told Australia’s Radio National’s Science Show that means women will run out of eggs at a younger age.

“We’ve discovered that sub-acute doses will actually trigger the eggs prematurely into growing,” she said. “Obviously they are destined to die, they are not going to be ovulated. And this is depleting the population of ovarian follicles in the ovary so effectively the woman will run out of good eggs earlier.”

5th November 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

John Kemp Passes Away

Axle Group Holdings Ltd has announced the death of John Kemp, Partner, at the age of 53, following a year long battle against illness. John Kemp was a popular and well respected figure, having worked in the tyre industry for 30 years. He began his career with Birkenshaw International as Finance Manager, based in Glasgow and during this time helped oversee the merger of the southern based wholesaler, Viking Express to form one of the country’s largest tyre wholesalers, Viking International.

In December 2001, Mr Kemp joined Alan Revie, John Taylor and John Caldwell in the highly publicised management buy-out of National Tyres and Autocare and Viking International, from Continental AG. In his capacity as Group Financial Director, John Kemp played a pivotal role in the dramatic turnaround of the company’s finances.

25th October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Racing, Aftermarket Pioneer Wally Parks Dies

(Akron/Tire Review) NHRA founder Wally Parks died last week at the age of 94. “Today is a sad day in the world of NHRA and the sport of drag racing,” said Tom Compton, NHRA president. “Words simply can’t describe the immeasurable impact Wally has had on the sport he created and the millions of people’s lives he touched along the way. The name Wally Parks is synonymous with drag racing, and his vision and direction will guide NHRA for years to come. Everyone in drag racing, and the industries formed to service the sport, will forever be indebted to Wally, his vision, his focus and his desire to create, build and grow NHRA.”

Parks founded NHRA in 1951, and played a pivotal role in the establishment of an entire industry devoted to the automotive aftermarket parts and accessories.

1st October 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Private Firms “Prey For Value Hunters”

The UK’s dwindling number of privately owned tyres, exhausts & batteries firms are looking more and more like potential takeover targets, according to a new report by business analysts Plimsoll Publishing. Latest research shows that 804 of the UK’s top 1000 tyres, exhausts & batteries companies remain in private hands, and their values are increasing faster than those of their corporate competitors. Their exclusivity, niche products and unique services are adding to their attractiveness.

Another more practical factor is also coming into play, according to Plimsoll’s senior analyst, David Pattison. “The increasing age of owners and principals at some of these companies is causing them to consider their choices,” he says. “While many family firms have succession plans in place, an offer for the company at the crucial moment is often listened to sympathetically, as the new generation review their options.”

But the big prize for corporate and private raiders is the hidden potential of family-run companies. Current owners typically strip out 80 per cent of profits as fees. To the value hunter, this is a huge platform on which to build. But for those who are not averse to the idea of a takeover, their past activity may backfire on them.

13th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Court Decides CTNA Must Pay Health Benefits

Following a US court ruling Continental Tire North America has been given the responsibility of compensating the healthcare expenses of a number of retired employees from plants in Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and California. The US district court in Toledo, Ohio decided that the company improperly reduced the health benefits of 3,000 former CTNA employees and their spouses.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs claimed that the CTNA decision to reduce the former employees’ health benefits resulted in couples not old enough to qualify for subsidised ‘Medicare’ health care (the minimum age for eligibility is 65) paying as much as US$1,000 a month for insurance. Many former employees were reportedly unable to afford these costs and thus were compelled to drop their healthcare cover.

6th August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Maurice Westmacott – “Sorely Missed”

Goodyear Dunlop have regretfully announced that Maurice Westmacott, Credit Control Manager, passed away on Sunday July 29th after a painful battle with cancer, at the age of 55. Maurice was well known in the tyre industry having managed Goodyear Dunlop’s customer accounts since joining the company in 2000. He was a familiar contact for many tyre dealers and wholesalers over the last seven years. A company spokesman said: “Maurice played a major role in building a customer facing accounts team. He will be sorely missed and our thoughts are with his family – and many friends at TyreFort and in the industry.”

3rd August 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Tire on Track Again to Fight Malaria in Africa

Legendary adventurer, Kingsley Holgate, and Cooper Tire have linked up once again to begin another epic humanitarian mission across the African continent, in the continuing fight against malaria. Following Holgate and Cooper’s collaboration on last year’s Rainbow Expedition, the off-road tyre manufacturing specialist is spearheading another twelve month-long trip, the Outside Edge Expedition. A convoy of 347 Land Rovers all shod with Cooper all-terrain tyres – the longest humanitarian train ever – set off from the Cape of Good Hope in April.

The mammoth expedition will circumnavigate Africa, travelling as the name suggests, around the edge of the vast continent. The aim of the trip is linked to the Cooper-supported One Net One Life campaign, which will see the expedition delivering tens of thousands of life-saving mosquito nets to pregnant mothers and children under the age of five. Shockingly, two babies die every minute from the bite of a mosquito – that’s 3.5 million Africans a year, more than die from HIV/Aids, according to the One Net One Life campaign.
Also linked to the Outside Edge Expedition is the Cooper Tire-supported Right to Sight initiative, in which ‘readers’ are supplied to help poor-sighted villagers.

18th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Double Identity

Followers of contemporary Formula One are well aware that motor racing can often seem more like a wheel oiled business than a sport, and the evidence of sponsorship deals and advertising tie-ins are an ever present companion to spectators either at the racetrack or when watching at home. But the sport wasn’t always this mercantile, and in the early days competitive racing was still a pastime within the reach of well to do individuals. There was a time when all one needed to race was a powerful car, a talented mechanic, some spare cash….and the right tyres.

The owners of vintage performance cars can today still enjoy the thrills of this more gentlemanly age of racing through vintage championship events, and on most weekends throughout the summer months the proud owners of some of the last century’s finest machines can be found thundering around the circuit at race meetings, competing in spectables offering a level of excitement often sadly absent in modern racing.

29th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Tyres Safer on Rear Wheels – Tyresafe

Established wisdom amongst a large section of the motoring public and even within the tyre industry dictates that new tyres should be fitted to a vehicle’s front wheels. At least 50 per cent of motorists, according to Tyresafe, believe this front fitting preference to be correct practice. However recent tests indicate that fitting new tyres to a vehicle’s rear wheels may be of greater benefit, regardless of whether the vehicle is front or rear drive.

Research suggests that fitting new tyres to the rear wheels will allow for better dispersal of water on the road surface, improving straight line braking. Partially worn rear tyres can, conversely, increase a vehicle’s tendency to oversteer, and sudden failure of a rear tyre will cause a vehicle to become much harder to control than a similar failure occurring in a front tyre.

18th April 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

New Tool Takes Gamble out Company Acquisitions

A unique new commercial tool is set to transform the way companies go about acquiring other businesses, according to its developers. VIBE, which has been devised by Plimsoll Publishing, draws on a database of information covering virtually every company in Britain and Northern Ireland. It shows at a glance if a company is ripe for takeover – and why.

2nd March 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

BEN: ‘Fund Us or Lose Us’

BEN, the automotive industry charity, is facing a deficit of up to £750,000 in its financial year to 31 March after tough market conditions, a drop off in legacy donations and plant closures like Longbridge and Ryton hit its fundraising income. Already BEN has been forced to close its Palliative Care Unit at its Alexandra House care centre in Southport, a move that will cut costs by £150,000 per year through staff redundancies and internal changes.

23rd January 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Startup Hopeful of TMPS Success

Very few people have heard of EoPlex, but this startup company in Redwood city USA hopes to make their mark on the tyre world.

The company have come up with a way of ‘printing’ three-dimensional metal and ceramic objects. The process involves a special ink and ultraviolet light. The exact ingredients of the ink used remains a closely guarded secret, but the EoPlex technique enables the manufacture of items far too small to be made by conventional means.

16th January 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Exec Director quits Balkrishna, Plans to Purchase Alliance

Former Balkrishna Industries Ltd executive director Yogeshkumar (Yogesh) Mahansaria and his brother Ashokkumar have reportedly quit the fast-growing Indian tyre producer, citing “family differences” as the reason. Yogesh has now teamed up with US equity firm Warburg Pincus to Acquire Israel’s Alliance Tire for US$45 million.

Alliance has been in negotiations with the two buyers, and the transaction is expected to be completed before June. The Alliance purchase forms part of a new venture that Yogesh Mahansaria has been quoted as saying he intends to float in the near future.

4th January 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Taiwan May Ban Retreads on Tourist Buses

Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has announced plans to review regulations governing tourist buses in the wake of a bus crash that claimed 21 lives in southern Taiwan. New measures could include banning the use of retreads on such vehicles, according to the China Post. Minister of Transportation and Communications, Tsai Duei, told members of a Legislative Yuan committee that his ministry is “working to impose stricter restrictions on the maximum age of passenger buses and is considering banning the use of retread tyres on tourist buses,” the newspaper reported.

7th December 2006/by Tyrepress Editors